Callum Best Tells of Fathers Alcoholism & Partying Ways

The Celebrity Big Brother house seems to be a place for unburdening oneself, with Keith Chegwin and Alexander O’Neal both already having confessed to previous struggles with alcohol and drugs respectively. And the latest star to reveal his secrets is Callum Best, son of late footballing legend George Best.

Party Scene

George Best, who played for Manchester United and Northern Ireland, struggled from a well-publicised battle with alcoholism and died aged 59 in 2005. He had a liver transplant but continued to drink as he struggled with his addiction. Callum was catapulted into the limelight after the death of his father and made a name for himself on the London party scene through a number of high profile relationships with models and actresses.

Callum has now revealed that the trauma of his father’s death was the reason he spent so much time partying hard. However, talk of him also being an alcoholic was quickly shot down, with him saying that he only drank as a way of coping with the death of his father.

Coping with an Alcoholic Parent

Callum spoke of watching his father continually get ‘wasted’ and told of how he drank every day for approximately forty years, adding, “He gave it a go, but he couldn’t hack it. I’m devastated that I lost my old man so young.”

His devastation at losing a parent so young is something that many children of alcoholic parents have to contend with. Watching a parent spiral out of control is heart breaking for a child, with the trauma manifesting itself in a number of ways.

The child could learn from the experience of the parent and may have an aversion to alcohol in later life. They may decide to stay away from the substance that caused the destruction of family life, choosing to become teetotal instead.

However, some children of alcoholic parents will become alcoholics themselves. Studies have shown that individuals learn from the behaviour of their parents and, in some cases, will develop alcoholism as they get older. Many children of alcoholic parents will struggle to cope with life and will revert to the behaviour of their parents and reach for alcohol when times get tough.

The Effect of Alcoholism on the Family

Family life is affected by the alcohol addiction of a parent in many ways. One of the first problems that occur is that alcohol becomes more and more important to the addict, and he or she will then begin to neglect other areas of life. An alcoholic’s behaviour is often very unpredictable, which affects family routines. It may be the case that meals are not prepared, or children may have to miss certain activities, as the parent cannot drive while under the influence.

Relationships between an alcoholic parent and a child can become strained, with the child struggling to understand the behaviour of the parent. If one parent develops an addiction to alcohol, there is certainly going to be arguments between both parents. Children usually witness these arguments, which then cause distress.

Asking for Help

If one parent is struggling with an addiction to alcohol, it will usually be the other parent who will encourage him or her to seek help. However, when there is only one parent and that parent is an alcoholic, it can be left to the child to try to take care of the home. Nevertheless, there is help for alcoholics. Rehabilitation treatment is hugely successful and can help alcoholics kick the habit. Here at Addiction Helper, we know what works for whom and we can support alcoholics and their family through the entire process. Call us today for free, confidential chat.

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